Locking device for pockets



Feb. 19, 1924. C. B. ERICKSON ET AL LOCKING DEVICE FOR PocxETs Filed July 5. 1922 To all whom concern:

Patented F eb.' 19, 1924.

.rf-Arena c v Be it known that we, CARL B. E iiIoKsoN and CARL JLVI'rncitiZens of the United States, Y and residents of the city 'of l Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new andjuseful yImprovements in a Locking Device fof i' Pockets; and we do hereby declareY that the following is a full, clear, Vand exact description `of the same', reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and tothe numeralsl of reference marked thereon, Vwhich form apart of this specification. j

This invention Vrelates to a locking 'del vice for pockets. y

It is an object of this invention to provide a pair of mutually co-operative members adapted for attachment toopposite inner sides of a pocket or the like for locking the pocket against the removal of articles therefrom, especially by theft, with means extending around on the inner side of a garment for unlocking said members for disengagement.

It is a further important object of this invention to provide meansadapted to be secured over the pockets to prevent access to the interior thereof by cutting, tearing, ripping, etc.

With these and other objects in view which will become more apparent in the following description and disclosuresin the drawings, this invention comprises the novel mechanism and combinations hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts in the different views: f Y

Figure l is a section through a garment such as a pair of trousers showing the application of our invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the cooperating members upon an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is-a vertical section through said members substantially upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a View substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 3 with parts in elevation.

Figure 5 is a section substantially on the line 5 5 of Figure 2 with parts in elevation.

'ia-Stoas (gaat @maga In ,theexemplilication lof this invention, we. have'. illustrated a hollow button-likev disk as `member' 1 v which may be variously constructed. In the present instance, it ,consists ofk acircu'lar metal cup-shaped base 1 3 havingan annular apertured attaching flange 11? andan annular interior ledge 1 fon supporting av cover or closing plate 1d substantially fiushwith the flange 1b. The v'cover ljl may be securedy in position by 'swedging thereon the metal just above the ledge." The base la and cover ld are centrally apertured coincidentally and within vthe chamber formed thereby adjacent the said 'apertures there is pivoted a latch lever 2 impelled by a spring 3 anchored in an eye stamped fromv the member l?. The spring 3 yieldingly urges the latch lever over a. portion of said apertures as shown in Fig. 4. The latch lever 2 is preferably pivoted at one end by bending the end thereof at right angles and inserting it in an aperture in the cover ld of the member l as shown in Fig. 3. The. free end of the latch lever 2 is provided with a 'lug 4 or portion extending at right angles thereto, which lug extends through an appropriate slot in the cover 1d, and is provided at its upper end with a small ring 5 to which an operative string or cable is adapted to be attached for moving the latch Y lever against the tension of the spring 8.

The member 1 is radapted to be secured or attached by means of the flange 1b to the inner side of a pocket orjpouch or the like for the purpose of cooperating with a second member secured directly opposite upon the other side of the pocket or pouch.y This second member comprises a substantially flat apertured base 6 having a centrally disposed shank 7 provided with a groove 8 and a convex or rounded head 9. The diameter of the shank 7 corresponds substantiallyy to the diameter of the apers ture in the member Vl` so that the shank mayv pass through said aperture; the convex'head engaging the side of the latch 'lever V2 and forcing or snapping it back against the tension of the spring during such operation. When the shank 7 has been passed through said aperture as far as it can go, the spring 3 will`force the latch` over into the groove 8 whereby the two cooperating members become locked together,

and in order to separate the same, it is necessary to Withdraw the latclrlever 2 from the Vgroove 8 by exerting a pull upon theV Vthe ring having attached thereto, a cord 12 which is sheathed in a strip of' fabric 13 attached to the interior of the body' of the trousers and extends around to the front part thereof. When the two members have been snapped together it will be impossible for anyone to open or get into the poclret without pulling on the cord 12, and as this lies and is concealed upon the inner side of the garment, and is Vonly'operable at the front part of the garment, `it becomes impossible for a thief to pick a pocket that is'locked according to thisinvention.

We are aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention: 1n combination, a garment having a rear pocket, a hollow member secured to the inner side of said pocket, said member comprising a cup-shaped base, a cover for the cup portion thereof, and a spring-impelled latch pivoted in the chamber formed between said baseand cover'and formed with a lug at its free end extendingV through a slot in said cover, said latch normally intersecting 'a portion ofthe coincident central apertures in said base and cover, a cord. attached vto the free end of said lug andrdisposed in a 'sheath formedrin said garment and extending to the front thereof, and a second element attached to the other side of said pocketV and comprising a basey and a grooved shank, the latter adapted to be inserted into the central apertures in said first member to be engaged and locked therein by said latch, said cord affording means for retracting said latch to unlock said members.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

` CARL B. ERICKSON.'v

CARL J. WITT. Witnesses:

CARLTON HILL, SPENCER W. Grs. 

